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Hot Fuzz Deconstruction

City Of God Analysis

In the opening sequence of City of God, we are presented with an extreme close up of two knifes with Foley sound. This puts emphasis on the knifes as they symbolise death and violence. This cause the audience to feel a sense of excitement as the shot is supported by a flash cut.

In this sequence, the main focus is the males who are a part of the gang. They have been represented in various ways by the different shot angles which have been used. In the sequence, there are quite a few low angle shots. One would be when the gang first began to chase the chicken. This shows that these characters are dominant and have power over all. Following this, there is a low angle shot to represent the chicken looking up at the camera. This shows the audience that there is a hierarchy and they are at the top. This represents powerlessness unless you are a part of the gang. There is also an extreme close up of Lil Ze laughing. An extreme close up emphasises actions and the character. This shows the audience that he is head of all members of the gang. When we first meet Rocket, he walks in with a medium long shot. To support his walk in he is backed by a calm contrapuntal sound. This shows a clear representation of the sort of person he is. The next time we see Rocket he is in the middle of the road. The shot then moves into a match on action where he is standing in the goal. Match on action changes the narrative to show where it all began.

At the beginning of the sequence, festival music is being played on instruments. This matches what is currently happening in the scene as it shows that they are making food for a certain occasion. This creates a calm festive looking atmosphere which contradicts what was first seen and heard the knifes. There is a turnaround in the music as soon as Lil Ze says the chicken is getting away. The music turns fast pace to match how quick the scenes are going but also to match their running pace. Pleonastic sound is also used right at the beginning where the knifes are being shown. The use of pleonastic sound is good because the noise stands out which causes an influence on the mood. It is also used for the gun. This is effective because it shows a turnaround in the atmosphere. The sound of the gun clicking and shooting shows that they are about to get violent. The use of these sounds is effective as it causes a sense of verisimilitude.

At the beginning of the sequence, there is a shot of the knifes this is shown as a quick black screen cut a few times. This is effective as it is a symbol in the film. It foreshadows to the audience that the knifes will play a huge role in the film and they should remember them. There are also shots which have been edited to make the chicken look weak. This creates a sense of realism as chickens are vulnerable creatures. There are also fast pace cuts. This shows the build-up of the opening sequence. It is effective to an extent as the audience may want to know what may happen next. There is the use of slow motion when Lil Ze appears to Rocket hold the gun up. This shows the power that he has as time can slow down for him.